CAUSE OF FIRES

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 299, 14 September 1937, Page 15

CAUSE OF FIRES

Dropped Matches and Cigarette Butts

Sheer carelessness caused more than half the fires in Wellington during the year ended March 31, the annual report of the Wellington Fire Brigade indicates. Lighted matches and cigarette ends thrown down were responsible for 263 of the 558 fires to which the brigade was called. Foul chimneys were the next most important, accounting for 96 calls. Sparks from fireplaces caused 21 outbreaks, live ashes 23 and electrical short circuits 20. Children playing with matches caused trouble on 12 occasions. One fire was attributed to vandalism and two were of suspicious origin.

There were 147 more fires than last year. Of the total of 558, 208 involved property. There were, in addition, 282 false alarms, 87 of them malicious. This is a considerable decrease on the number last year, and, through an arrangement which has been made with the Post and Telegraph Department for holding and checking back on all telephone calls, the brigade hopes that a further decrease will be effected. The most serious outbreaks with which the brigade had to deal were in the premises of Hutcheson, Wilson and Co., Ltd., on January 20, and Hope Gibbons, Lid., on February 20. In each case the damage amounted to between £5OOO and £lO,OOO. Only one fatal injury was caused by fire.

The estimated loss of property covered by insurance was £33,510; the estimated loss of property not covered by insurance, £1046; the estimated value of property involved. £3,459,346: the insurance on property involved, £997,557.

The extension of street fire alarms is to be considered when the proposed new system of alarms is installed at the new headquarters station.